Monsters Among Us
by Advocaat
Summary: Post AC and DoC. Rogue monsters were one thing. They could handle that. But a rogue teammate... Nobody wanted to think of it. Trouble is brewing, and at the center of it is a person most unexpected. Yuffentine.
1. You Say That Things Change

**Monsters Among Us**

Chapter 1

_You say that things change_

Evenings in Nibelheim are chilly.

It seemed all the warmth of Gaia's magnificent sun disappeared as its sire sunk behind the Nibel mountains—to eventually rise proudly over Wutai; the dawn of a new day. Yes, evenings in Nibelheim are chilly. Especially in the dead of winter, which is the reason Vincent Valentine now found himself trudging through fresh, ankle-deep snow on the outskirts town, peering through icy gusts of blustering powder for signs of an underdressed ninja.

Most of AVALANCHE had gathered three days ago to discuss a growing concern involving certain species of fiends' recent and peculiar spike in aggression. Reports made to the WRO seemed to indicate a westward trend to this behavior. The monsters' instability was noted first in North Corel, but appeared to aggravate near Nibelheim. According to Cid, the area around Rocket Town fared even worse, and the entire town had been put under lockdown in order to defend against the disturbingly coordinated attacks by groups of Twin Brains. Cloud and Reeve had made plans to mobilize as much of the team as possible to uncover the source of this wave of seemingly unprovoked insanity.

Marlene and Denzel were left in the care of Barret and Elmyra in Corel where they would be kept safe while Cloud and Tifa, joined by Nanaki and Vincent, attempted to reach Cid, who'd taken charge managing the quarantine in Rocket Town. The group had tried to contact Yuffie via PHS, but were surprised when even after several attempts they failed to reach her. Assuming that she was wrapped up in her obligations to Wutai, they had just about given up hope when they stumbled upon her quite accidentally midway between North Corel and Nibelheim, looking somewhat dazed from travel and frequent battles, and a tad thinner than usual—Vincent had quietly noted—but otherwise perfectly healthy. The group was currently occupying Nibelheim's only inn as they waited for the blizzard to let up enough to allow them safe passage through the mountains.

Yuffie had abandoned the inn to go 'exploring' about an hour earlier, but something about their cheerful friend wasn't sitting right with the team's crimson clad, stoic gunman. After trying and failing to ignore his unease concerning this—it didn't help that she'd left without bothering to grab any sort of protection from the elements—Vincent excused himself to look for her.

Nibelheim was not a large town by any measure, not even containing a materia shop. Since there was little of interest to a character such as Yuffie, Vincent did only a brief sweep of the place. As expected, the energetic thief was not in the town, and nobody he asked had any information as to her whereabouts. However, it was because this town was small that the list of places where the ninja might go was very short. By process of elimination, if Yuffie wasn't within the village, then she was outside of it, leaving only three places to search; the mountains, the reactor, and the mansion; and while the reactor was her best bet for finding uncommon materia, Vincent's instincts were telling him she wasn't there. Venturing into the mountains at this time of night, during a storm no less, was foolish even for Yuffie. The mansion, on the other hand, was where the team had found the Odin materia, _And me, _he thought briefly. Perhaps Yuffie thought that after Deepground's infiltration there would be something of interest left for her to uncover there.

During the several months since Omega's defeat, Vincent had returned to Shinra Manor once to make his peace with the place. He'd actually considered restoring it with all the extra gil he'd acquired during his travels, however the present issues put this idea on an indefinite hiatus. Now the quiet ex-Turk found himself trekking up the familiar path far sooner than he'd expected when he left to meet the others in Kalm three days prior. He wondered—assuming he ever did get around to restoring this old mansion—if Yuffie would visit him here. He knew she had obligations to Wutai, but the part of him that secretly longed for the company of others wished she would.

Yuffie could be stubborn, loud, sneaky, conniving, and grating; she was somewhat eccentric and materialistic, but she was loyal—despite her penchant for theft—caring, and undeniably bright. To Vincent, she was everything he wasn't. Thinking of her brought the gunman to a somewhat startling realization.

Yuffie was his best friend.

While Vincent had come to consider all of AVALANCHE his friends, Yuffie stood above the others. Her personality made her the least likely to want to have anything to do with a man like him, and yet, it was that personality that fueled her desire to know him better. She was rarely affected by his emotional defense mechanisms; his glares made her _laugh_; his verbal dismissals were countered with her own witty rebuttals and often left him feeling foolish, and his discomfort with physical contact was pointedly ignored. Her blatant disregard for his personal space gave him every reason to despise her, really, but, remarkably, he didn't. He knew her behavior was anything but selfish. She honestly wanted him to be happy, and if tearing him to pieces mentally, emotionally, and even physically was what it took, she would happily pluck a freshly sharpened kunai from her sock and proceed to carve the brood from his body.

Vincent's pondering was put on hold as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors of Shinra Manor and stepped quietly into the darkness beyond. He brushed the snow from his shoulders and glanced around the foyer, his enhanced eyes adjusting quickly to the inky darkness. Now that he'd entered the building, he knew without quite knowing that Yuffie was near.

Inside the mansion was barely warmer than out. The only real difference being the absence of the raging snowstorm. Even without the buffeting winds that could still be heard through the groans and creaks of the aged structure, the chill was hellish. Yuffie was not dressed for these temperatures. Vincent's worry grew. Sure, the ninja could be careless, but she'd never struck him as suicidal. He could feel the chilly air seeping into his bones despite his modified body, heavy cloak, and thick leather garments. Just how long had she been here in this monster infested mansion clad only in shorts and a sleeveless top? Fear pooled in his stomach. Why hadn't he accompanied her earlier? Why hadn't he at least followed her?

He knew he was being unreasonable. Yuffie was old enough to handle herself and had never needed anyone's company when she left them to go scouting in the past, nor had Vincent ever particularly worried for her, but this time was different. She hadn't been herself since they found her in the field. Not answering her PHS wasn't terribly strange for her, she was a ninja after all, and ninjas didn't stop to answer their phones in the middle of stealth missions, but Yuffie rarely failed to return their calls, even if only for the opportunity to gloat about whatever she'd been stealing at the time. Maybe that had been his first hint that something wasn't right with his young friend.

Vincent started at a sudden, single musical tone sounding from somewhere further inside the mansion. The tone was soon followed by several others, and Vincent realized that he was hearing a scale on the manor's old piano. Unless one of the monsters had discovered an appreciation for music while he was away, Vincent now knew the whereabouts of his missing ninja. He also noticed that she must have somehow repaired the instrument, as the notes _te_ and _re_ seemed to be in perfect working order once again. He felt part relief and two-parts annoyance that Yuffie had been busying herself fixing pianos while he worried himself into a state of near-panic over her safety.

As he traversed the foyer, the notes started again, and Vincent was surprised to hear an actual melody join the mad howling of the wind just outside. The stoic gunman never imagined that Yuffie would bother herself with fine arts. The fact that she even played—if it was indeed her playing—an instrument was unexpected.

_She is a princess_,he mused._ I suppose it is expected for a woman of her status to dabble in the arts._

Despite the slight tremor from understandably frozen fingers, however, the light melody was fluid in a way that made it clear that the player had more experience than mere dabbling.

Vincent crept nearer to the doorway separating him from his teammate, suddenly cautious of disrupting her. There was a whisper of light seeping from the crack beneath the door, probably from a portable lantern. He opened the door and was a little alarmed to find that the temperature inside the massive room was no more inviting than out.

"_Snow can wait. I forgot my mittens_."

As if the poor man weren't on edge enough as it was, Yuffie's voice nearly scared Hellmasker out him.

"_Wipe my nose, get my new boots on_."

She was singing. A simple tune that complemented her playing. Vincent noted that Yuffie had moved the piano so that it was now situated at the back of the room, near the tall windows that displayed the storm raging beyond the glass. The violent winter outside drew interesting parallels to Yuffie's lyrics as she continued to sing, not yet having noticed the man standing uncertainly not ten paces from where she sat.

"_I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter,_" she sang. Her voice was light, but there was a feeling of heaviness in the melody. Or perhaps it was in the way she played. "_I put my hand in my father's glove._

Vincent stood deathly still so as not to catch her attention. His lips pulled into a frown as he continued to listen.

"_I run off w__here the drifts get deeper, _

_Sleeping Beauty trips me with a frown,_

_I hear a voice, 'you must learn to stand up for yourself, because I can't always be around._'"

The lyrics were puzzling. Had something happened to Yuffie's father? Vincent considered this. Perhaps he was reading too much into her song. Surely Yuffie would have told them if that were the case.

Yuffie's voice trembled. Her next few words almost a whisper.

"_He says, when are you going to make up your mind? _

_When are you going to love you as much as I do? _

_When are you going to make up your mind? _

_Because things are going to change so fast._

"_All the white horses are still in bed,_

_I tell you that I'll always want you near._

_You say that things change, my dear."_

Yuffie's voice and playing came to an abrupt halt as she caught sight of his reflection in the polished lacquer of the piano. Vincent felt a pang of frustration toward himself for foolishly interrupting her song. Coming around to the front of the piano, he was finally able to see Yuffie's face. He could see her shock at being caught, but what disturbed Vincent was the watery sheen in her eyes. Yuffie had been on the verge of tears as she sang. Even more alarming was the light blueish tint of the girl's lips and her abnormally pale complexion. Her white fingers trembled where they hovered just above the keys. Shiva, she was two steps from catching hypothermia.

"Vincent..." she started, but trailed off and wiped her eyes instead, trying to salvage what dignity she could.

Vincent unclasped his heavy cloak and draped it over her smaller shoulders. This seemed to shake her out of her silence.

"Ah! Sorry," she apologized, her usual cheer returning to her voice. "I was just wandering around the mansion when I noticed the piano, and I haven't played one such a long time, and I just thought that maybe I should fix it up, and–"

"Yuffie," Vincent interrupted her rambling, "Just what were you thinking, coming all the way out here without a jacket?"

Yuffie had the decency to look sheepish. "My materia senses were tingling." Her voice sounded unsure, but even if it hadn't, he knew it was a lie. "What about you, Vinners?"

"My Yuffie senses were tingling."

There was a moment of silence in which the two simply stared at one another, then the tension was broken as Yuffie clutched her stomach in a fit of giggles. "Oh man, Vince! You surprised me with that one."

A corner of Vincent's mouth turned upward in a slight smile. This reversal of roles was unusual, but not unpleasant. He was happy to act 'out of character', as Yuffie called it when he tried to make jokes, if it meant that she'd fall back _into_ character. In any case, he was glad see the ninja acting like herself again.

"Come, Yuffie. Let's return to the inn and warm up. I can't help but find these conditions less than optimal, especially now that you have my cloak." Yuffie nodded and followed him out of the mansion and into the raging elements.

oO0Oo

* * *

Cloud and Tifa were the only ones still awake when the pair returned.

"Yuffie!" Tifa rushed to the door and fussed over the younger girl, batting snow off her back and shoulders and brushing it from her hair. "What were you thinking, going out in the dead of winter dressed like that! You need to take better care of yourself. Thank Shiva Vincent found you!"

"I'm fine, Tifa," Yuffie insisted. "I just lost track of time. It wasn't snowing when I left."

"We're in the mountains, Yuffie," Cloud chimed in. "Even you know how unpredictable the weather is up here."

"You didn't seem to mind when I left," Yuffie argued, moving to sit by the fireplace.

Tifa handed her a steaming mug of something that smelled heavenly before retorting. "We didn't realize you were so ill prepared. Really, Yuffie, you lived on your own for how long before we met you? I would've thought you'd have more sense," she chided.

Yuffie hung her head slightly, her shoulders bowed. "I'm sorry, guys. I wasn't thinking."

Tifa sat beside her and threw her arms around the girl's shoulders. "Don't be sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I know you can take care of yourself... I just worry. You know how I get."

"It's true," Cloud offered from behind the couch. "There was this one time about a year ago when I left her for fifteen minutes to buy groceries and she went totally nuts! She called up everyone in the neighborhood and wrote depressing poetry, and-" Cloud was silenced by an expertly executed smack in the head courtesy of Tifa.

"Like hell, Cloud! That never happened!" Tifa turned back to Yuffie. "He's just sore because nobody even noticed he was gone." This comment earned a rather undignified noise from Cloud, but he offered no more peanut-gallery input.

Vincent just watched from where he was left forgotten by the door. Cloud, he noticed, had made a great emotional recovery since his second battle with Sephiroth almost two years past. According to Tifa, he had completely returned to his old self with the added bonus of having outgrown a bit of his shyness. The aloof gunman was happy for his friend. It seemed sins could, in fact, be forgiven. Watching his comrades interact, Vincent almost felt that perhaps, together with these people, he too could return to the man he once was.

"I appreciate your concern, guys, and you're right. I'll buy a jacket tomorrow morning. Wouldn't wanna catch the flu in the middle of a mission." Yuffie placed her empty mug on an end table and yawned, stretching her arms over her head for emphasis. "That said, I think I'll call it a night. Early thief gets the loot, and all that."

Once Yuffie had ascended the steps to the room she shared with Tifa, Vincent addressed the others. "Yuffie...hasn't been herself lately."

Cloud cocked his head slightly. "How do you mean?"

"She seems," Vincent paused as he chose the right word, "...unfocussed." He decided against revealing her behavior in the mansion. Her hobbies were her own, and if she didn't feel like sharing them, he wasn't going to either.

"I understand what you're saying, Vincent." Tifa looked thoughtful. "She's probably under a lot of stress right now."

This piqued Vincent's interest. "Oh?" He hadn't heard about anything of particular interest happening in Yuffie's life of late.

"You know how she was helping me with the bar...well, her father called her back to Wutai about a month ago. She didn't say why, but I'll bet it has something to do with her duties as heiress. All that's been put on hold, of course, what with all the monsters gone mad. Not even Wutai can ignore something like this."

"I see." Vincent made for the stairs. "That is understandable." He bade the two goodnight and retired to the room he shared with Nanaki and Cloud.

oO0Oo

* * *

It was past midnight. Vincent lay in his bed, not sleeping, but not entirely awake either. His body required little rest, so he often spent his nights dozing in a kind of limbo, letting his thoughts wander. Chaos was gone, returned to the Planet, and Vincent finally felt at peace in his own mind. Death Gigas and Hellmasker bothered him infrequently, and Galian Beast only ever stirred when he was under a lot of stress. As he lay, Vincent amused himself by listening to the soft noises of the night. Muffled skittering sounds spoke of mice in the walls. A small shuffling registered at the edges of his senses; someone was moving in the next room. Likely one of the girls getting up to use the restroom. Light sniffles could be heard from down the hall; a little boy with a cold. The wind still howled outside, blowing against the inn's sturdy frame.

Minutes passed as Vincent lay in suspended animation, but the telltale creak of the stairs' seventh step reminded Vincent that someone was up and about, and that the room next to his was suspiciously quiet now. Warning bells went off in his mind and his Galian-enhanced senses registered a shift in the inn's atmosphere. A kind of pressure was building in the air accompanied by a sense of urgency. Vincent forced himself into a state of alertness and slipped out of bed, deathly quiet. If he were Nanaki, his hackles would be up and his ears would be standing at attention above his head.

Making is way down the stairs, Vincent carefully avoided the creaky seventh step as he stepped into the lobby.

oO0Oo

* * *

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't even know where she was. She remembered warmth and a soft bed—an inn...? But she'd left. Why did she leave? Her head felt uncomfortably warm. Her body ached. She was freezing. Harsh winds ripped at her hair and clothes and snow was piling up around her legs. She had to keep moving. She couldn't afford to stop here. Darkness swam at the edges of her vision, but she picked up her feet and trudged on into the endless dark.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The voice was gentle, but she knew she couldn't trust it. It was evil.

"Miss?"

She growled low in her throat. She should hurt it. Yes, she should hurt it for what it had done. It should suffer! It needed to pay!

"Tom, I think she's ill. Come over here and help me."

Another voice joined the first. "Poor girl. Wonder what she's doin' all the way out here. An' in the middle o' the night, too!"

The second voice's owner made to grasp her shoulder. His mistake. The moment his hand brushed her bare flesh she let out a feral shriek and flung her hands up to claw at the man's face.

"Agh! Vic, hold 'er down!"

The first man, Vic, attempted to restrain her, but she was quick, and she sprung away from both men, hissing and snarling. It was then that she remembered the weapon strapped to her back. She pulled the large blade free with her right hand. Now they would suffer! Now they would understand what they'd done!

"Shit, Tom! She's crazy!"

Insanity bled through her mind as she watched the two men try to flee. _Kill. Kill. Kill!_ She pulled back her arm, muscles coiling, preparing to launch her lethal tool, but just as she began to fling her arm forward her progress was halted with an angry scream of steel on steel. What was this? The two men took advantage of her confusion and fled.

"Yuffie! Stop this nonsense," a cool, masculine voice came from an area near her head and she sensed an enormous power behind this man's tone. Her head pounded and she dropped her shuriken. It slid down the barrel of a massive gun before sticking into the snow with a muffled thud.

"Who...?" she managed to choke out the word before her eyes rolled back and she too fell to the ground.

oO0Oo

* * *

Sooo... This has been sitting around on my computer for about two years now. Holy damn, where does time go? I was going to wait to post it until I could be sure I had the time for it, but then the months just kept slipping by and I got all busy with my A:TLA stories. Well, I've finally decided it's time to blow the dust off it and get this sucker moving again. I owe it to one of my most favorite games of all time.

If you find any typos or other mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me. My tendency to miss those things borders on criminal.

Lemme know what you think and I'll see you again next chapter!

Advocaat


	2. An Interesting Development

Monsters Among Us

Chapter 2

An Interesting Development

Tifa, Cloud, Nanaki, and Vincent stood silently around the bed where Yuffie slumbered, trying to think of something to say. The first three had been sleeping soundly when Vincent returned to the inn hauling the unconscious ninja on his back. Tifa was woken first as Vincent rushed into her room and immediately cast _fire_ in the hearth. Seeing her companion's distress, Tifa had helped Vincent get Yuffie situated close to the blaze. Then, without a word, she'd rushed to the boys' room to wake Cloud and Nanaki. Once Yuffie was sufficiently warm, Vincent moved her to the bed.

Now, bleary-eyed and confused, the Nibel couple and giant feline waited for someone to speak. Cloud elected himself and asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Vincent, what happened?"

Vincent was silent for a moment as he considered what to say. Truthfully, he had no idea what had happened. It didn't make any sense. Why would Yuffie attack strangers? The look in her eyes had been nothing less than feral. Had she snapped? Was she ill? Ramuh, that was a scene he had feared would play out with himself, never Yuffie.

"I found her on the edge of town fighting with two men."

Tifa gasped, "They didn't hurt her, did they?" She clenched her fists in righteous fury.

"No," he quickly responded before the fighter could get too worked up. "Quite the opposite, actually. She nearly killed them."

"Harming humans is unlike her," Nanaki chimed in.

"What on Gaia did they do?" Cloud asked incredulously.

"Absolutely nothing, as far as I could see. They seemed to think she was in need of assistance, but when they tried to help her she lashed out at them."

"_Something_ must have happened," Cloud defended. "Yuffie wouldn't just attack someone for no reason."

Vincent stared his friend down. "I sensed no hostility from either man, nor were they carrying any weapons or materia. I'm reluctant to say this, but Yuffie's actions tonight are entirely unexplainable."

"You're sure she was going to hurt them?" Nanaki asked.

"She had her Conformer poised to kill, and I sensed her unbridled fury. There is little doubt in my mind that she would have ended their lives had I not intervened."

There was another pause as the group digested this information. Rogue monsters were one thing. They could handle that. But a rogue teammate... Nobody wanted to think of it. There had to be an explanation for their friend's behavior. She'd tell them when she woke up.

Tifa was the one to break the silence this time. "Vincent, you never explained her current condition. Did you cast sleepel on her?"

"No, she fainted when I stopped her."

Cloud looked shocked. "You didn't knock her out, did you?"

Vincent shook his head slowly. "I didn't. Although I might've if the situation didn't improve. I'm inclined to think it was a combination of the cold and overexertion that caused her to loose consciousness."

A loud crash interrupted the group's conversation, followed by a violent shudder beneath their feet.

"What's going on?" Tifa yelped as a large crack appeared in the glass of the room's single window. An inhuman shriek from outside spurred her an the others out into the hallway.

"Red, stay here and look after Yuffie!" Cloud ordered as he raced down the stairs followed closely by Vincent and Tifa.

The entire inn was awake and frantic. People were rushing into the lobby in a confused swarm. The innkeeper and a few large men had set themselves against the front door where loud pounding could be heard. Some of the hired help had organized themselves and were herding people away from the windows and door and a heavily pregnant woman was trying desperately to calm her two-year-old son. It was a picture of pure chaos that Cloud, Tifa and Vincent descended into as they hurried into the large room.

Cloud shoved his way through the madness to the door that was still being clumsily barricaded from the inside.

"What's happening?" he demanded, quickly but carefully analyzing the situation.

The innkeeper grunted from his position against the heavy wood. "Fiends are attacking the town! Best get yourself away now!"

Cloud turned to his companions and nodded, then faced the innkeeper again. "Let us through, we'll take care of it."

"You're brave, boy, but this is no time to be getting foolish ideas."

Cloud unstrapped the First Tsurugi. "Believe me, we can handle this."

The older man's eyes widened at the sight of the massive sword. "Whatever you say, kid." He looked at his companions who still struggled against the door. "Let 'em pass!"

The two other men looked at each other in disbelief before moving away from the strained wood.

Cloud and the others pushed their way through the doorway and were met by a group of angry looking valron. The valron hissed and shrieked, backing away from the threat of Cloud's massive sword.

"Twin brains in Rocket Town and now valron here in Nibelheim. The situation has just worsened, hasn't it?" Tifa said with a sigh.

"Let's take care of these ones and check the rest of the town," Vincent suggested, raising Cerberus.

"Way ahead of you, Vince!" Tifa rushed to meet the group of valron, fists and feet flying.

It didn't take long to neutralize the monsters at the door, and the group hurriedly split up to secure the other parts of town.

* * *

oO0Oo

* * *

Vincent's mind was only half focused on his task. He was worried about Nanaki and Yuffie back at the inn. Nanaki could handle any monsters that broke through, but that would require leaving Yuffie, and the girl was in no condition to defend herself, even if she were awake to do so. Still, the other guests were even more vulnerable, so Nanaki would have no choice but to protect them.

Against his better judgement, Vincent turned and hurried back to the inn, leaving Cloud and Tifa to finish purging the town.

oO0Oo

* * *

Nanaki's paws were tied. The inn was a mess; more valron had broken through, and it was all he could do to keep them away from the terrified mass of people huddled at the back of the lobby. A few of the monsters had ascended the stairs and he was worried about Yuffie. It was unlikely the others would return before the rogue fiends found the unconscious ninja.

Nanaki's anxiety was somewhat alleviated as a tall figure garbed in black leather rushed though the broken doorway.

"Vincent!" the large cat called, capturing the dark man's attention. "Yuffie!"

The gunman was up the stairs before Nanaki could say any more.

oO0Oo

* * *

Three valron surrounded Yuffie's bed. They hissed and spit as Vincent entered the room. The gunman stopped and studied the situation. He was at an impasse. The valron were situated in such a way that he feared he would hit Yuffie if he fired. _Smart beasts..._ he thought as he considered his options. One of the fiends surprised him when it spoke in a low hiss.

"Don't come any clossser, demon," it ordered, its mouth twisting in a way that proved it was not built for human speech.

"You speak?" Vincent had his gun carefully trained on the valron's crown.

"Foolisssh child," it hissed "Don't think so lowly of usss."

The other two made to grab Yuffie but were stopped by a harsh growl from the tall gunman.

"Don't touch her! Her life is not yours to take."

"Her life? You are bold in your ignorance, pup. It isss not her life we want."

Vincent's hand did not falter. "Then what?"

"We only wisssh for the return of our beautiful princesss." The creature's snout twisted into a wicked-looking imitation of a smirk.

"What use could she possibly be to your kind?"

"Far more than to yoursss."

Vincent raised his claw. "I've heard enough. Take your brothers and sisters and return to the forest. I can't promise your safety should you refuse."

The valron only looked amused. "Just what do you think you can do, pup? We have the princesss already in our clawsss."

Pounding feet could be heard from down the hall.

"My companions are here. Your lives are forfeit."

"Vincent!" Cloud, Tifa, and Nanaki appeared in the doorway.

The valron hissed angrily before leaping in quick succession out though the already shattered window.

"They escaped!" Cloud cried, peering out through the cracked frame.

"How's Yuffie?" Nanaki inquired.

"She's fine. They didn't touch her," Vincent answered coolly, holstering his gun.

"Thank Gaia," Tifa sighed.

"How is the situation in town?" Vincent asked.

"Taken care of," Cloud responded, moving away from the broken window. "The valron have been exterminated."

"We're lucky you got to Yuffie in time," Tifa said, looking back at Vincent.

"They weren't here to kill her," the tall man informed them.

"They weren't?" Tifa looked confused. "How do you know?"

Vincent looked at each person in turn, then settled his gaze on Yuffie. "They told me they planned to take her with them; that she would be of better use to them than to us."

The group looked at him in disbelief. "They spoke?" Tifa asked disbelievingly.

"Yes."

"You're sure?" the blonde soldier next to her pressed.

"Positive, Cloud."

Nanaki shook his head and spoke. "Well, this is an interesting development, isn't it?"

Cloud ran his fingers through his unruly golden locks. "It sure is. More interesting than I was prepared for."

oO0Oo

* * *

The boys eventually went back to their own room and the girls were given a new room with a fully intact window—lucky Cloud received the honor of ferrying Yuffie's dead weight to the new room. The group had decided to leave Nibelheim early the following morning, as it was unanimously agreed that the sooner they reached Rocket Town, the better. The night's attack had sent everyone into high alert, meaning sleep came slowly, and the party, sans Yuffie, felt less than rested in the coming morning.

Tifa was still in their shared room when the Wutain ninja finally awoke.

"Morning, Boobs," Yuffie greeted with a yawn.

"Oh, Yuffie!" Tifa turned to the girl who now sat upright in her bed. "Thank Shiva you're awake!"

Yuffie looked confused. "What, did I sleep in too long?"

She looked out the window, noting the sun's position. "It can't be past six. Oh! I had a really weird dream last night. Wanna hear?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "I was wandering around in the snow when some gross monsters attacked me, so I pulled out my weapon to lay some serious smack down on their asses when this really pretty guy comes from out of nowhere and stops me-"

"Yuffie," Tifa interrupted, "I'm not so sure that was a dream," she informed her younger friend carefully. "You left the inn last night and Vincent found you attacking two men."

Yuffie's expression changed to one of confusion. She held up her hand and waved it at the older woman. "Whoa, Teef, you said Vinnie found me last night? Attacking a couple of dudes?"

"I wasn't there, but from what Vincent said, it sounded like you were delirious. You fainted right after he stopped you."

Tifa thought she saw a look of horror cross Yuffie's face, but it was quickly covered by amusement.

"Wow, crazy night, huh?"

"Yuffie," Tifa said sternly. "Don't just brush this off like some drunken episode. Why did you leave last night?"

Yuffie shook her head as if to clear it. "I don't know. I don't remember going out at all."

"There's more," she continued. "After Vincent brought you back, a large number of valron beset the town. While we were out dealing with them, a few managed to break into the inn. Vincent said they tried to kidnap you! He said they spoke to him; told him you'd be useful to them in some way."

"Really?" Yuffie turned her head away and Tifa watched the girl carefully as she pretend to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She turned back and her trademarked gin was firmly in place. "Well, can't argue with a pack of talking lizards."

Tifa smacked her hand down on the mattress firmly. "This is serious, Yuffie! You—"

She was cut off when the ninja suddenly propelled herself off the bed and pranced to the door. "I'm sure it's nothing, Teef," she called back, her expression unworried. "I'm pretty certain I don't have anything a bunch of valron would be interested in—unless I stole it from them," she tacked on with a wink. "And a little sleep walking is nothing to get your panties in a bunch about. Anyhoo, I'm starving, so I'll catch ya later!"

The shorter girl gave her a mock salute and disappeared into the hallway before Tifa could say anything more.

oO0Oo

* * *

And that's chapter two! Hurray for progress.

So, it's pretty damn clear that not all is rainbows in Yuffieland. I wish I could talk about that more, but then what would be the point of the story?

I'm trying to keep everyone in character to the best of my ability, but it's been several years since I played the game last. I'm in the middle of replaying it right now, but I'm only as far as the Gold Saucer. Crisis Core and DoC are slightly more fresh in my mind, but meh, I prefer the characterization in the original game.

Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. It's hard to get feedback when you're writing for an old, lonely fandom such as this.

Till next time! Ciao!


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